First Look: O’Connell’s Hotel Reawakens in a Sleepy Pocket of South Melbourne

The O’Connell Centenary Hotel, on the corner of Montague and Coventry streets, has been a South Melbourne staple since 1873. It’s often credited as one of Melbourne’s first gastropubs, with a series of talented chefs – including Greg Malouf and Adrian Richardson – passing through the kitchen since 1991. In March, the team behind Prahran’s Flying Duck Hotel announced it had taken over the venue, and, following a brief closure for renovations, the evergreen corner pub reopened last week.

Developed by managing director Brenton Lang and head chef Michael Conlon, the new menu revolves around local produce and native ingredients, and is inspired by Conlon’s upbringing as well as the pub’s location near Hobsons Bay.

“I grew up on the Gold Coast,” he says, “so I’ve always had a strong connection to the sea, and a lot of the venues I worked in as a young chef served excellent, fresh seafood. We’re not too far from the bay here, so it feels natural to lean that way for some of our signature dishes.”

Seafood standouts include prawns with smoked macadamia butter and native bush tomato, Moreton Bay bugs with saltbush and kohlrabi, and market fish of the day with a classic sauce grenobloise. More substantial options include a saltbush lamb shoulder that’s slow-cooked overnight, and a steak menu featuring Wagyu from Cape Grim and Altair, and Galician-style cuts from Vintage Beef Co. These are all done in the red gum-fired Josper oven – a long-term fixture of the O’Connell’s kitchen. 

“We wanted to work with the tools we had on hand when we first walked into the building,” Conlon explains. “It’s one way we’re trying to stay true to what the pub is and has been over the years.”

Another nod to former tenants is the Silk Road Martini – a tribute to Malouf’s pioneering Middle Eastern pub menu of the 1990s. A continent-spanning mix of vodka, pickled chilli brine, cucumber and rosewater, it’s listed alongside other house specialities such as the Montague Street Highball (lemon myrtle gin, ginger ale, lime and burnt rosemary) and the Red Gum Old Fashioned (bourbon, demerara sugar, burnt orange and red-gum smoke).

“We want to acknowledge Greg’s impact on this venue, as well as the broader hospitality industry,” Conlon says. “We thought a cocktail would be a nice little tribute.”

The interiors have been given a zhoosh by designer Fiona Drago, with an extended front bar, tobacco timber booths with maroon counters, fresh carpeting and a lick of paint all welcome additions. The team has also pulled a stash of memorabilia, including original drawings of the building from the 1870s, from the pub’s storage cellar and hung it on the walls.

The outdoor space has new tables and umbrellas but the same feel. O’Connell’s has always been a pleasant place to grab a beer and watch the world go by in this sleepy pocket of South Melbourne – Conlon and the team don’t want to change that.

“I feel like there’s a generation that maybe missed out on this place. We’re hoping we can show off what a great old pub it is and ensure that the next generations continue to enjoy it.”

O’Connell’s Hotel
407 Coventry Street, South Melbourne

Hours:
Daily, midday–11pm

oconnells.com.au
@oconnellshotel